This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119 arising from an application entitled, CIRCUIT CALL GENERATOR FOR TESTING FUNCTIONS OF INTERWORKING FUNCTION SYSTEM AND METHOD THEREFOR, earlier filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on Aug. 19, 1998, and there duly assigned Serial No. 1998-33550.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a circuit call generator (load box) for testing the functions of interworking function (IWF) system. The present invention concerns in particular a method for testing data traffic processing of the interworking function (IWF) system, which provides mobile subscribers with wireless data communication services and facilitates data transfer to a Public Switched Telephone network.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional network configuration for providing mobile subscribers with radio data communication services in CDMA system. As illustrated in FIG. 1, a mobile/wireless subscriber uses a mobile terminal (MT) 120 for connecting to a terminal equipment (TE) 110, such as personal computer, note book computer, and other equivalent means, to receive radio data communication services from a wired network (i.e. facsimile, internet services, and etc.).
As shown in FIG. 1, a wireless subscriber (TE, MT) 110, 120 transmits a call request message to a base station (BS) 130 in order to establish a communication link via air interface. Then, the base station 130 requests a mobile switching center (MSC) 140 for a call setup via A-interface (as shown by the line labeled A). The mobile switching center (MSC) 140 analyzes the call request message and requests the interworking function (IWF) system 150 to establish a communication path, in the event that radio data communication service is requested in the call request message.
The interworking function (IWF) system 150 is connected to the mobile switching center (MSC) 140 via L-interface (as shown by the line labeled L). The interworking function (IWF) system 150 accesses communication channel to transmit/receive data to/from the wireless subscriber 110, 120. In the event that IWF system receives a request for communication link from the wireless subscriber, the interworking function (IWF) system 150 requests for call connection to the mobile switching center (MSC) 140, which directs the data to the proper place. In response to the request of the interworking function (IWF) system 150, the mobile switching center (MSC) 140 sends an order for call connection request to the wired subscriber of the wired network 160 via the public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to either modem 170 or facsimile 190. If the call connection is established with the wired subscriber, the IWF system provides data transfer between the wireless subscriber and the wired subscriber using communication protocols.
In the event that a designer of the communication system has developed a specific interworking function (IWF) system and wants to test the working functions of the IWF system, the designer has to directly connect the interworking function (IWF) system to the wireless network and provide communication services thereon to carry out the test operation. Further, the wireless subscriber should be connected to the wired subscriber of the wired network to see if a fault occurs in the communication path of IWF system. Since testing of the IWF system requires an actual physical connection with both the wireless subscriber and the wired network, it demands for complex network test points and complex test devices, which makes the test operation very expensive. In the known art, there still exists the problem relating to high costs and costly labors associated with testing of the call control processing and the data traffic processing for the interworking function (IWF) system.
To solve the problem associated with the conventional method, the present invention is intended to provide an apparatus for and method for testing data traffic processing of the interworking function (IWF) system.
One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for and method of testing the interworking function (IWF) system in a code division multiple access (CDMA) system by using a circuit call generator to emulate the wireless subscriber and the wired network.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for and method of testing the interworking function (IWF) system so that the normal paths of communication through the interworking function (IWF) system are tested by isolating the IWF system from the remainder of the whole network and testing the IWF system.
Further objection of the present invention is to provide a method for testing data traffic processing of the interworking function (IWF) system, which provides mobile subscribers with wireless data communication services and facilitates data transfer to a Public Switched Telephone network.